Ground plan of the Acropolis as seen in Stuart and Revett's Antiquities of Athens

'Tower of the Winds', inspiration for many Greek Revival buildings

Caryatids of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis from The Antiquities of Athens

Choragic Monument of Lysicrates in Athens

Parthenon frieze from The Antiquities of Athens

Portico of the Parthenon from The Antiquities of Athens

Section and plan of the roof of the 'Tower of the Winds' in Athens

Side elevation of the Erechtheion on the Athenian Acropolis

Stuart & Revett dedicated their work to King George III

Title page of Stuart and Revett's groundbreaking Antiquities of Athens

View of the Parthenon from Stuart & Revett's important work

Stuart & Revett's Antiquities of Athens

James Stuart and Nicholas Revett were British architects who traveled in Greece from 1751 to 1754 to record and measure the ancient ruins, particularly those of the Acropolis in Athens. They published their findings in The Antiquities of Athens, the first volume of which appeared in 1762.

These magnificent folio volumes provided the first illustrations of ancient Greek architecture to an architectural community that had grown to accept Roman forms as the fount of all good taste. A rivalry grew between the traditional advocates of Roman architecture, such as Giovanni Battista Piranesi, and those who championed the new Greek Revival taste.

Stuart drew the topographical views and wrote the text, Revett contributed the measured drawings. Stuart became so identified with this work that his nickname became 'Athenian'.